Game apparatus.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

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JOHN H. LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed November 29, 1905. Serial No. 289,586.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of ook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to bowling alleys and my primary object is to pro vide a construction enab ing the game of bowling to be played u on a shorter range than is now necessary, t iereby enabling the apparatus to be installed in places which are not now available for the sport.

The invention is illustrated in one embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in Which-- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional view of my improved bowling-alley; Fig. 2, a broken plan view of the same; and Fig. 3, a broken vertical section taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a plurality of superposed alleys connected by a curved section, or sections, so that the ball will have transit in one direction and then in the reverse direction on its way to the pins. The number of superposed alleys, and consequently the number of reversals of direction of transit which the ball will undergo in traveling over the course, may be varied at will.

In the preferred construction, I employ a lower going-alley and an upper return-alley, the going-alley bein equipped at its rear end with an up-curved section having a forwardly directed free end terminating alpproximately thespace of a ball above t e rear end of the return-alley, and the returnalley being equipped at its front end and adjacent to the front end of the going-alley, with a it. Such is the construction illustrated, m which A represents the going alley; A, the up-curved section forming a continuation of the rear end thereof; B, the return alley; and B, the pit connected with the front end of the return-alley. The goingalley and the up-curved alley-section forming a continuation thereof are flanked by I gutters a; and the return-alley is flanked by j gutters I) located in the same vertical planes as the tters a. Thus, provision is made for the all leaving either alley at any point fiilllfl following through a gutter or gutters to t e pit.

I preferably form the device in three secl tions, viz: a section a comprisinig pro ects rcarwardly past the rear end of the alley A, and the meeting ends of the alleyA and the section A are beveled, the end of the alley A being out under, whereb a socket is afforded for the adjacent end of the section A. When the sections are joined together, they are connected by screws a: passing through the member a and into the su erposed end of the section A. The alley is equipped with legs I) connected by hinges b with the lower side of the alley and adapted to swing inwardly beneath the alley. The lower ends of the legs are e uipped with tcnons which fit into socketsif with which the lower section a is provided outside of the gutters u. The rear end of the section b is equipped with supports 1) for the adjacent portions of the section (1 The construction enables the device to be knocked .down for purposes of shipment. In this operation, the screws 0. are withdrawn, the section a removed, the section 15 lifted to separate the le s b from the section (1 the legs are then folded inwardly, after which the section b can be dropped. upon the section a.

The front end of the return-alley is provided adjacent to the )it with spots 0 to indicate the )osition of the pins c. The front end of the going-alley preferably projects some distance in front of the pit. B and is provided with spots 0 corresponding in po sition with the spots c. The spots 0 aid the player in placing the ball during delivery.

11 the ilaying operation, the player delivers the ball c 11 )Uil the front portion of the alle A, and the ball passes over the alley until it encounters the curved section A when its direction of transit is reversed and it is delivered upon the return-alley .8, over which it rolls on its course to the pms. The player is ordinarily able to look over the guards surrounding the pit and see the pins in position, so that it is possible to gage the ball with great accuracy. While the ball is passirig over the going-alley A and the curved a c -section A, it revo v and when it passes on to the return-alley B its direction of rotation. is reversed, as indicated by the arrows. Thus, it will be seen that two factors are at work to retard the ball in its course over the alleys and on the way to the pins, namely, the retarding force which comes from the reversal of direction of transit of the ball and the retarding force which comes from the reversal of direction of rotation of the ball. In addition to these retarding forces, 1 may provide for a buffing force, as by suspending a buffer d from the lower side of the up er alle the lower edge of the buffer depem ing wit in sufficient distance of the up er surface of the lower alley to cause the bal to encounter the buffer as the ball passes over the lower alley. Preferabl the buffer is made of some yielding materral, such as felt, which will produce a retarding effect upon the ball, without deflecting the ball from its course.

The improved construction renders it possible for full-sized pins and balls to be emloyed on an alley fifteen or twenty feet in ength, and enables the player to exert all the force in bowling that he could exert in playing upon a straight alley of regulation size. Moreover, the construction locates the pins near the bowler, so that the bowler may reset the pins himself, enabling him to dispense with the services of an attendant. It is obvious that the alley may be constructed as a permanent fixture, or it may be made portable inform. In the portable form shown, it is adapted to be placed u )on a table, stands, saw-horses, or the like. n the port able form it may be of a very small size to adapt it for use as a toy for children, or a somewhat larger size to adapt it for use as a parlor game for adults, and of a still larger size to adapt it for use in places of public amusement or resort, or for use in the basements or attics of rivate residences.

t will be understood that the mechanical construction of the device may be varied at will. For instance, where the device is seetionally constructed suitable fittings will be provided for insuring adequate rigidit when the parts are connected. Preferab y, the curved alley-section is composed of sheet metal confined by suitable forms, the form of the curved section being approximatel that of a half cylinder. While the lower a ley is preferabl inclined somewhat, so that a ball which fai s to pass to the upper alley will return to the starting point, both the lower-and the upper alleys have their surfaces perpendicular to a vertical longitudinal lane, and the axis of curvature of the curverl section is perpendicular to said plane, i. e. the axis of curvature is in a transverse horizontal line. The tar et, obviously, may be anything desired. tor instance, the marks 0 may be es in one direction';'

simply slight depressions used either to catch the ball or mark the position of the pins, at will.

It is obvious that the pit may be connected with either alley in a construction of the character shown. Moreover, as has been stated, any desired number of superposed alleys may be employed. (hanges in details of construction within the spirit of my invention are contemplated, hence no undue liniitation should be understood from the forc going detailed description.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a lower going alley, a curved section connected with one end thereof and forming a continuation thereof, and an upper target carrying or return alley having its rear end presented to the concavity of said curved section, the lower alley having an uninclosed front end projecting in front of the front end of the upper alley.

'2. The combination of two superposed alleys of approximately equal length, the lower alley constituting the going alley and the upper alley the target carrying or return alley a curved section at one end of the alleys and forming a continuation of one. thereof and serving to reverse the direction of transit of the ball and direct the ball from one alley to the other, and a pit at the other end of the alleys connected with the other one thereof. for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a going lower alley terminating at the rear end in an upturned curved section having a forwardly directed free end, a return upper alley located below and in front of the free end of said curved section and having its front end terminating near the front end of the lower alley, and a pit connected with the front end of said return alley, space being provided beneath said pit for the passage of a ball on the lower alley.

4. The combination of terminating at the rear end in an up-curved section having a forwardly directed free end, gutters flanking said alle throughout the length thereof, including t 1e curved section, an .up er target carrying or return alley locate below the level of the free end of said curved section, gutters flanking said 11 per alley and located in the same vertical p ane with said first-named gutters, and a alleys.

5. The combination of an inclined lower alley terminating at its rear end in an upcurvcd section, having a forwardly presented free end, a return-alley located beneath the free end of said curved section within range of a ball passing from the curved section, and a pit connected with the return alley near the free end of the lower alley.

6. The combination of a going-alley of a given length terminating at its rear end in a lower going alley pit connected with the free end of one of said an up-curved section presenting a forwardly directed free end, a s orter return-alle lo cated beneath the free end of said curve section and terminating at its front end slightly in the rear of the front end of the goin -alley, anda pit connected with the front en of the return-alley and located above the goingalley and adjacent to the front end thereof, whereby the ball .is initially delivered by the player In front of and beneath the. it and returns to the pit in the vicinity of t e player, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a lower alley having an up-curved rear end, and an u per alley havi its rear end located beneat the free end 0 the u curved end of the going-alley, said upper ley being detachably connected with the lower alley, for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of a going-alley, a

superposed upper return-alley e nipped at its front end with a pit, a curve a ley-section forming a continuation of the lower alley-and terminating above the rear end of the return alley, and ball-retarding means above the lower alley, for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination of a lower going-alley, a superposed return-alley,-a curved alley-section forming a continuation of the goingalley, a pit connected with the front end of the return-alley, spots on the return-alley adjacent to the pit, and means external to the pit serving'to indicate the position of the pins, for the pur ose set forth.

10. The comblnation of a going-alley, a curved alley-section forming a continuation of the going-alley, a return alley terminatin near the front end of the going-alley, an targets on the front end of the return alley and near the front end of the going alley.

11. A bowling alleycom risin a lower bed having its end remote om tie bowler curved upwardly and rearwardly, an up er bed extending into said curvature and be ow the end thereof and extending back to the bowler and parallel with the lower bed, side and end members on said upper bed affording a pit to receive the pins when struck.

12. A' bowling alley com risin a lower bed having its end remote om t e bowler curved upwardly and rearwardly, an upper bed rigid y' connected thereon and extending into said curvature and below the end thereof and back to the bowler and parallel with the lower bed, side and end members on said up or bed affording a pit to receive the ball an the'pins when struck.

13. A bowling alley com risin a lower bed having its end remote om t e bowler curved u wardl and rearwardly, an upper bed parallel wit the lower bed and extending into said curvature and below the end thereof and back to the bowler, a pit comprising side and end members and a bottom secured at the strike end of the upper bed and ada ted to receive the pins when struck.

14. Tile combination of a going loweralley terminating at the rear end in an u turned curved section having a forwardly irected free end, a return up er alley located below and in front of the ee end of said curved section and having its front end terminatin near the front end of the lower alley, an means at the front end of said return upper alley for receiving the ball and holding the same within easy access of the player.

JOHN H. LEE.

In presence of- J. H. Lamms, M. S. MAoKENzm. 

